Cigar-box.



Patented Jan. 9 I900.

No. 640,74l.

M. BROWN.

CIGAR BOX.

(Application filed May 18, 1899.)

(No Model.)

- W/TNESSES ah c/M/M 0% INVENTOH 4mg ATTOHNEYJ THE "cams PETERS 410.. mom-uma, wAsumcTon, 0' c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MORRIS BROWN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CIGAR-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,741, dated January 9, 1900.

Application filed May 18,1899. Serial No. 7] 7,278. (No modelJ To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MORRIS BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oigar-Boxes,of which the following is a full and complete specification, such as .will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to cigar-boxes, and has for its object to provide a cigar-box so constructed and arranged that after having been once emptied of its contents will be unfitted for further use, thus preventing the fraudulent refilling ,of boxes with cigars of different grade from that originally sold and the evasion of the legal tax.

A further object is to provide a box that shall always have the appearance of being filled with cigars, and hence freshly opened.

A further object is to provide a cigar-box with an indicator whereby the actual contents of the box may be ascertained at a glance.

The invention consists of a cigar-box-con- I structed substantially as hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by the same letters of reference in each of the views, and in which- Figure 1 is an end view of the cigar-box constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section thereof, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the cigar-box, which may be of any ordinary or preferred form.

Upon the bottom of the cigar-box are arranged helical springs B, which are preferably four in number and located one at each corner of the box. The springs may be attached to the bottom of the box by means of staples, to which the lower ends of the springs are secured, or in any other preferred manner. As shown in the drawings, the springs gradually taper toward the upper portion; and hence the power of the springs diminishes in proportion to the amount of expansion, being greatest when the box is filled with cigars and the springs compressed to the lowest point' and weakest when the box is nearly empty and the springs are expanded. By this construction the danger of the last layer of cigars being thrown out of the box is obviated, while at the same time the force of the springs is always sufficient to keep the cigars supported flush with the upper edge of the box, thus making the box appear to be full of cigars irrespective of the number of cigars the box really contains.

A supplemental or false bottom Dis supported upon the top of the springs B and may be secured thereto in any suitable manner. The false bottom is preferably made of cardboard, though it is obvious that any other material could be substituted.-

Atone end of the false bottom D is secured a depending arm d, which is provided upon its lower end with an outwardly-extending lug d, which projects through a vertical slot 61 formed in the end of the box. Adjacent to the said slot (2 are arranged a series of index-pointers 01 which are spaced to correspond with the spaces between the layers of cigars. The ends of the pointers d extend over the slot at and are adapted to be struck by the lug d as it moves upwardly in the slot and turned, thus indicating the number of layers of cigars in the box, as will be readily understood. An upwardly-directed leafspring (1 is secured, preferably, to the edge of the slot at near the upper end thereof in position to be engaged by the lug (1 when it reaches the limit of its upward movement. When the spring (1 is thus engaged beneath the lug d, it will be found impossible to lower the false bottom so as to refill the box without such injury thereto as would lead to detection. Similar springs (1 may also be secured adjacent to each pointer for a like purose.

A suitable frame E is formed about the slot, and a cover E, of glass or other transparent material, fixed therein.

When the box is packed with cigars, the false bottom is forced down to near the bottom of the box. The index-pointers are then arranged horizontally, so as to extend over the slot. As soon as a layer of cigars is removed the springs raise the false bottom a distance corresponding to the space occupied by the layer and the lug passes the lower index-pointer and carries it to a vertical position, and thus indicates the number of layers removed and the position of the false bottom.

A spring-catch G is arranged upon the side of the box in position to engage the false bottom and retain the same in the lower position until the box is filled with cigars, whereupon the spring catch G will be disengaged by means of the handle 9 and the false bottom will rise far enough to turn the first indexpointer and engage the lower spring-catch d4, 7

thus indicating at a glance that the box is filled and also preventing the refilling of the box when only partially empty.

By means of cigarboxes constructed as above described a show-case has the appearance of being filled with boxes of cigars freshly opened, from which only a few cigars have been removed, and thus obviates the unsightly appearance of a number of halfemptied boxes.

Having fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure-by Letters Patent- 1. A box for cigars provided with a vertically-movable false bottom, supportingsprings therefor, a lug to prevent downward but not upward movement thereof carried by said false bottom and a spring-catch adapted to be engaged by said lug for locking the false bottom, substantially as described.

2. A box for cigars, provided with a vertically movable false bottom, su pportingsprings therefor, a spring-catch adapted to engage said false bottom,and retain the same in its lowered position, a lug carried by said false bottom and a spring-catch adapted to be engaged by said lug for looking the false bot- 1 tom in its raised position, substantially as described.

3. A box for cigars provided with a ver-, tically movable false bottom, supportingi springs for said false bottom, and an indicator arranged upon said box for determining the position of said bottom and operated by said bottom, substantially as described.

at. A box for cigars having a slot in one end and provided with a vertically-movable false bottom, graduated supporting springs for said false bottom, a depending arm attached to said false bottom and having an outwardlyprojecting lug engaging said slot, and indexpointers arranged adjacent to said slot and adapted to be struck by said lug, substantially as described.

5. A box for cigars having aslot in one end and provided with a vertically-movable false bottom, graduated supporting springs for said false bottom, a depending arm attached to said false bottomand having an outwardly projecting lug engaging said slot, i-ndex point= ers arranged adjacent to said slot and adapted to be struck by said lug, and a spring catch arranged adjacent to each pointer and adapted to be engaged by the lug on said arm, to prevent the false bottom from being low ered when once raised, substantially as described.

6. A box for cigars provided with a slot in one end and havinga vertically-movable false bottom, graduated supporting-sprin gs, the resiliency of which diminishes as the spring is MORRIS BROWN.

Witnesses HENRY GRUBE, SAMUEL BROWN. 

